Germany welcomes a large number of visitors each year and many want to live there permanently. However, most people must have a valid visa to enter the country.
In 2019, German consulates and embassies issued 1,959,401 short-term visas and 324,636 long-term visas to foreigners.
If you are coming to Germany for tourist purposes, you will not need a short-stay visa to Germany if you are a citizen of the 62 visa-exempt countries.
A German tourist visa allows its holder to stay in Germany for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. The holder is allowed to travel to Germany and 27 other Schengen countries while the visa is valid.
If you stay in Germany for more than 90 days and you are not a citizen of one of the countries mentioned above, you must apply for one of the German long-term visas. Long-term stay visas in Germany, unlike short-term stay visas, are issued for stays of more than 90 days and for tourism purposes that are completely different from short-term stay visas. You will only need to apply for a long-term visa in Germany if you are a national:
Then, if your visa is granted, upon arrival in Germany you will need to have a German residence permit. Below are the types of residence permits in Germany depending on the purpose of the visa issued:
Due to the different purposes for which a person may want to enter Germany, the German immigration authorities have established several types of visas. Here are the types of German visas you can apply for:
To apply for a short-term visa to Germany, you must apply at a German representation in your country or near you. However, if you are applying for a long-term visa, you must apply to two different offices:
Yes, your German visa can be revoked if its conditions are no longer valid. Your German visa may also be canceled in any of the following cases:
You can always reapply for another German visa. However, applying for another German visa may be more difficult because your visa has already been revoked once due to false information or you have committed a crime.
If the German Embassy refuses your visa application, you will receive the reasons for this decision.
If you think the decision is unfair, you can always appeal by writing a letter of appeal against the visa refusal.
It takes up to 15 working days to process your Germany visa application. If you are applying for a long-term visa, it may take several months to process your application.
However, remember that the processing time of your visa application depends on a number of factors such as the staff present at the visa office, the time you apply for the visa (off-season or in-season ), and whether or not you submitted a completed application.
A Germany short-stay visa costs €80 for the main applicant.
However, the fees change based on what type of German visa you are applying for and how old you are.
For example, if you have a child under 6, their visa application is free of charge, while for children between ages 6 and 12, the cost is reduced to €40.
You are usually required to pay the fee after you complete your interview; sometimes, you can complete the visa payment when you fill out the online visa application form- it depends from country to country.
It’s important to remember that the Germany visa fee is non-refundable, even if your visa application is denied.
Also keep in mind that most German foreign missions do not accept payments from digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay; You usually have to pay by cash or credit card (you must be the cardholder).
The validity of your German visa varies depending on the type of visa you apply for:
Please note that when you apply for a long-term visa in Germany, your first entry visa (D visa) is valid three to six months.
After entering the country, you can apply for a temporary permit for a period of one to three years, depending on your visa type.
You can then explore your options for applying for a permanent residence visa.
Germany applies the 90/180 rule for short stays, so you must calculate the length of your stay to avoid the consequences of an extended stay.
Here’s a 90/180 rule calculator you can use.
You can extend your German visa if you have a very convincing reason, including:
To extend your stay in Germany, you must apply for a visa extension at the Foreigners Office in Berlin, Keplerstrasse (Ausländerbehörde).
For the registration process, you need the following documents:
Please note that you must make an appointment via email with the Immigration Office to receive an extension.
If your extension request is successful, your visa will be renewed the same day.
You need to pay €30 for visa extension in Germany if your extension is for personal reasons or late entry.
However, if due to humanitarian reasons or force majeure, you do not have to pay the visa extension fee.
It’s important to remember that if you need a second extension, the fee is €60 for adults and €30 for minors.
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